hamlets act 1-2 questions/study guide

who is there with the ghost?

marcellus, barnardo (guards) and horatio (hamlets friend)

story between denmark and norway

Denmark: old king hamlet killed Old King Fortinbras in a dual gaining some norway land and money

now young fortinbras wants to go to war against denmark to get land back but uncle to young fortinbras (current king tells him no)

what is the ghost wearing

war armor

why does the ghost leave?

hears the rooster crow

who is laertes and where does laertes go?

• son of Polonious and brother to Ophelia

• king gives him permission to go back to france (to study i guess)

where did hamlet go to school?

Wittenberg

Cornelius and Gertrude say no to him going back

what advice does Laertes give Ophelia?

not to give anything to Hamlet (to look out for herself)

what advice does Polonius give to Ophelia?

not to involve herself w hamlet bc he will just leave her and he does’nt want her to embarrass him

what advice does polonius give laertes?

• give thy thoughts no tongue

• be thou familiar but not vulgar

• listen to everyone but don’t speak

• dont judge out loud

• be your true self

• spend money but not too much

• dont hang out w bad crowds

who says something is rotten in the state of denmark

marcellus

what does the ghost ask hamlet to do?

• remember him

• revenge him (by murder)

• dont blame his mother

• dont punish his mother

what is the ghosts punishment?

roams earth during night burns during day

how was old hamlet killed

poison in the ear while sleeping in the gardenby his brother Claudius

who says one may smile and smile and be a villian

the ghost

what does hamlet make the guards do

swear to not tell anyone about the ghost and go along with him acting crazy

who does Polonius have spy on laertes? and what’s his plan?

reyanold - wants him to spread rumors about Laertes' behavior to see “what sticks” and is true in Paris and report back to him.

how long btw act 1 and 2

2 months

who are rosencrantz and guildenstern?

old friends of hamlets who the king and queen employ to spy

who says since brevity is the sole of wit I will be quick

polonius

what does hamlet polonius and what does he mean?

Fishmonger- he’s a pimp (selling out his daughter)

who says Denmarks a prison?

Hamlet

what does Hamlet mean when he says i am but mad north- north- west and who is he talking to?

he’s only crazy some of the time (guildenstern and rosencrantz)

what story does Hamlet have the players reenact?

story of the trojan horse and pyrrhus

• saw his father killed and wants to avenge him by killing the king of Troy

• parallel to Hamlets life

what play does Hamlet ask them to perform

murder of gonzago